False Security
by Mistyeye
Summary: Sequel to Escape, please read first for this to make sense. The group have now arrived in Washington and Daryl finds it's not the safe, secure place it appears to be. AU set a while after the escape from Terminus.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N At last the sequel to Escape. I started to write this months ago, before season 5 even started, but life got in the way and I've struggled to get back to it. I'm a Brit and have sadly never been to Washington so please forgive any errors or liberties I have taken with this beautiful city to suit my story. The W hotel is real but I'm not sure of its location in relation to the Capital building.**

**I hope you enjoy reading this and please take a second or two to leave a review.**

**Thanks**

Chapter 1

The three military trucks made their way cautiously through the silent streets of the city. Those inside were tense, nervously watching for the first sign of trouble as they made their way towards the Capital Building. Eugene had suggested they headed for the home of US government, feeling that was the place to start in their search for those still in charge.

"They have bunkers and fallout shelters under most of the buildings round there. That's where the scientists and leaders will be" He assured them. Not knowing what else to do they had gone along with him.

Rick held Judith in his arms, his damaged ribs still hurting from the beating at the hands of the soldiers a few weeks before. Tasha was driving, Carol alongside her as they studied the deserted roads.

"It's too quiet, where are all the walkers?" Carol mused "We've barely seen one since we got here"

"Maybe they all left the cities when the food ran out" Tasha was on edge, the silence was too unnerving.

The truck in front, driven by Abraham, with Eugene navigating, made a left turn and she followed, seeing the third truck, Tyreese behind the wheel, do the same. They rumbled past side streets and parked vehicles, the dome of the capital building coming into view.

"What do you think we'll find when we get there?" Carol asked "Do you think Eugene knows what he's talking about?"

Before anyone could reply a large semi-trailer truck pulled across an intersection in front of them, blocking the road. Tasha cursed; slamming her vehicle in reverse, hoping Tyreese reacted quickly enough to do the same. A second semi pulled across the street behind them, boxing them in. Several soldiers in full combat uniform including body armour, poured out of nearby buildings, weapons aimed at the three trapped trucks.

"Everybody out of the vehicles, hands where we can see them" One of them demanded. Peering through the windshield Tasha could see more armed men posted on the roof tops of the tall buildings surrounding them.

"They got snipers up there" she indicated to Rick. "I don't see a way round doing what they want for now"

Rick thought for a second, before handing Judith to Carol.

"You and me go out there first, try and talk to them, get a feel for what they want" he decided. Tasha nodded her agreement. As Rick reached for the door she stopped him.

"Wait up, maybe this will help" She fished in her bag, stowed under the seat, and pulled out her dog tags. She'd removed them after the run in with the rouge troops, disillusioned by all things military. Placing them around her neck she followed Rick as he climbed from the cab. They approached the leading soldier, hands held out at their sides.

"I need everyone else to leave the vehicles immediately" The man instructed his tone reasonable but firm.

"We need to know they will be safe" Rick spoke quietly "We have women and children in there we are not prepared to risk until we know more about the situation"

"I fully understand that, Sir" the man spoke politely "But with respect you're surrounded and outgunned. We have marksmen on the rooftops and in various buildings. If we wanted to harm you there would be nothing you could do about it. We just need to know what we are dealing with ourselves"

Tasha stepped forward and she saw the man notice her tags.

"Captain Jackson, Third infantry" She introduced herself, noticing the man wore the insignia of a first lieutenant, meaning she out ranked him.

"Ma'am" he gave a nod of acknowledgement "I understand that you outrank me but I have my orders to follow and I have no way of knowing you are who you say you are. Please instruct your people to leave the vehicles. I can assure you they will not be harmed unless they try anything"

Seeing no alternative Rick told everyone to leave the trucks. As they stood in the road, feeling vulnerable, several men moved among them, patting them down for weapons and removing any knives or handguns they found. Carol caught Daryl's arm as he started to resist when his hunting knife was pulled from its sheath.

"Don't" she told him "It'll be okay" He backed down but she could feel the tenseness coming off him.

Once the vehicles had been searched and any weapons found removed the group was instructed to get into the back of the trucks. Two armed men climbed into the cabs of each one.

"You will be taken to headquarters where you will meet those in charge. They will explain the situation and discuss your needs" the Lieutenant explained, before waving the trucks off.

It was a short journey, the trucks pulling up outside a huge, elegant building. An awning over the entrance announced it as the Hotel Washington. As the group began to climb down from the vehicles soldiers began to offer assistance, their weapons slung over their shoulders. Beth appeared, her blue eyes blinking in the strong sunlight, blonde hair hanging down her back. At once a young soldier stepped forward, offering his hand.

"Let me help you down, Miss" he said as he courteously reached for her arm. At once she recoiled, a look of fear crossing her face.

"It's okay Beth" Maggie was instantly by her side "I think these are the good guys. They're not like the Major or his men"

"We don't know that" Beth whispered, as she gazed at the uniformed men with frightened eyes.

"I don't know what you've been through, Miss" the young soldier spoke gently "But I'm truly sorry for whatever it was that got you this upset. We really are the good guys, we only want to help. You're all in a safe place now"

Beth managed a nod as, with Glenn's help, she climbed to the ground.

"Thank you" she muttered as she stayed close to her sister.

At the second truck a soldier was reaching up to offer Tasha a hand, when Daryl elbowed him out of the way.

"Hands off, Army boy" he growled "She don't need your help" Before Tasha could move Daryl gripped her waist with his hands, effortlessly swinging her down.

"Don't need yours either" she sniped, hiding the small smirk at his unexpected possessiveness.

Rick could see the Lieutenant talking to a smartly dressed young woman, clutching a clipboard.

Finally the soldiers left and the woman ushered the group forward, into the building. They found themselves in a beautiful entrance hall with a black and white chequered stone and marble floor. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling and there were massive arched windows lining one wall. Several pieces of antique furniture were spread around the area. Rick noticed several armed men in police uniforms discreetly stationed around the room.

The woman gave them a dazzling smile as she studied them.

"My name is Carrie Richards. I'm Senator Russell's aide. You'll meet her later but right now it's my job to welcome you to our community. If you'll please follow me we'll get started" She led them to a sunken area lined on three sides with built in couches, telling them to take a seat.

Worriedly they glanced around at the expensive looking leather and pale cushions.

"If it's alright with you, Ma'am" Rick spoke for all of them "I think its best we remain standing. We've been on the road a while and aren't exactly fit for the nice stuff you got in this room"

She smiled again.

"It's very sweet of you to think like that but I think you look like you all need to sit and relax a bit. You certainly look like you've been through a lot recently. Sit, don't worry about the furniture" Another woman approached them carrying a tray with various bottles and glasses on it.

"I didn't know what people would want so I bought a selection" she smiled "There's water, juice and soda. I can get coffee if any of you would prefer it" she set the tray down on a small table.

"You got soda?" Carl's face lit up "please Dad, can I?" he gazed appealingly at Rick who gave him the go ahead.

Both women smiled again as Carl glugged the soda down, a look of bliss on his face. Daryl was getting a bad feeling, everything was just too perfect.

Once they had all selected their drinks and sat reluctantly Carrie became more business-like.

"We welcome all here" she told them "It's a safe community, well protected by military and police. We haven't had an incident with the diseased in the safe area for several weeks. You will be safe here, however we do have some conditions you must be prepared to agree to before you are accepted" she took their silence as a sign to continue.

"Every one of you must agree to a full medical examination before you can stay. We have to make sure you are all healthy. You can keep any personal belongings but all supplies and every weapon must be handed over to go into the community store. Everything you need will be provided. Once you are settled each one of you will be given a job to do, everyone pulls their weight here. Jobs are decided when you meet the Senator and based on your previous experiences before the outbreak. Do you all understand and agree to these conditions"

Rick glanced at his friends, knowing they would agree, knowing they had no choice. They couldn't keep going on as they had been, they needed a secure place.

"We agree" he told Carrie. Her beaming smile was back as she rose

"Let's get you all to the medical centre and get those check-ups started. Then we can get your accommodation sorted" She glanced at them again.

"Married couples and families are given their own rooms. All others share same sex dormitories" she smiled at Rick, taking in Judith, now sleeping in his arms.

"I can see you are Father and children, is one of these lovely ladies your wife?" She asked brightly.

"My wife passed away giving birth" Rick held Judith closer; he still found it hard to say that Lori was gone.

Carrie's smile faded "I'm so sorry "she exclaimed, resting her hand on his arm. "That must have been a very difficult time for you"

Tasha noticed that Daryl was looking more and more like a cornered animal. She knew he was already uncomfortable being in the city, still feeling lost without his crossbow. Losing his knife and now finding out he would have to stay in shared sleeping quarters, probably with strangers, was almost too much for him to take in. She knew him well enough to know it wouldn't take much more to make him snap.

Rick obviously saw the same thing as he spoke up.

"Maggie and Glenn there are married, have been for a couple of years" He informed Carrie "Abraham and Rosita have been a couple for a good while"

"If they are not married they will have to go into the separate dorms, I'm afraid" Carrie interrupted "It's the Senator's wishes. She feels that moral standards should be kept up" She smiled at the red headed soldier and the pretty Hispanic girl. "We can arrange a ceremony if you want. Make things official so you can stay together" In normal circumstances the look of panic on the big soldiers face would have caused a loud round of laughter.

Tasha caught Daryl's hand as he half rose from his seat, looking like he was about to bolt for the door.

"Tasha , I think now's the time for the two of you to come clean about what really happened when we went on that hunting trip with Beth" With his back to Carrie Rick shot her a meaningful glance, hoping she would catch on quickly.

"I know you didn't want to say anything as it was so soon after Bob and you wanted to respect Sasha's feelings but I think she'll understand" he continued, rubbing his wedding band discreetly. Daryl stared at him as if he'd gone mad but Tasha registered what he was trying to do. Beth had also caught on.

"You should tell everyone now" she piped up sweetly "It was so lovely" She turned to the others, smiling at their puzzled expressions.

"You know how private they both are, how it was weeks before we even knew they were together, well they just decided they wanted to make a commitment. Rick, being an officer of the law, was the nearest they were gonna get to a judge so they asked him to say a few words and I was witness" Listening to her Rick wondered when it was that sweet little Beth Greene became such an accomplished liar.

It was Glenn that broke the silence.

"So you two are like, actually, married?" he asked hesitantly.

Giving Rick a look that would kill a lesser man Tasha reluctantly nodded. She knew what he was doing, trying to keep Daryl calm, getting him out of a situation he wouldn't have coped with but it put her in a position she didn't like or want.

There was a flurry of movement from the group as they came forward, offering hugs and congratulations. Daryl stood there, his mind blank as they fussed around him. He was beginning to think he'd lost the plot. He could remember the hunting trip clearly. He'd wanted to go with Beth, to see what she could recall from the training he'd given her before they were separated. Rick and Tasha had insisted on tagging along. Both were a liability in the forest and he'd yelled at Tasha when she lost them the rabbit he'd been tracking. Damn woman just didn't know how to pick up her feet without falling over every root or stepping on every twig. She'd yelled back and Rick had to step in and break it up before they called every walker for miles to them. He remembered all of that but he sure as hell didn't remember getting married.

Carrie watched the group as they surrounded their friends. She knew that her pretty face and fancy clothes, as well as her enthusiastic, smiley personality made people think she was dumb, but they were so wrong. She was far more astute than people gave her credit for. She also knew bullshit when she saw it and she saw great steaming piles in this marriage story. On a whim she decided not to call them out on it. She'd seen the way the man had shoved the soldier out of the way to stop him touching the woman, she'd also seen the way the woman had grabbed the man's hand when he appeared stressed by something, calming him instantly. They obviously had their reasons for this and she'd let them have their way for now.

"The hell's your game?" Daryl hissed at Rick "Why'd you make up that crap?"

"Figured you wouldn't want to be sleeping in a room with a whole load of strangers and couldn't think of another way round it. Only way you was getting your own space was if you was married. It was either her or Tara and I guessed you'd prefer Tasha" Rick gave him a knowing look "It's not like the two of you haven't already….."

Daryl cut him off abruptly "That was one night a long time ago and she aint shown any interest in repeating it. I'm thinkin' she aint gonna be happy about this"

The conversation was cut short by Carrie, insisting they needed to go to the medical centre for their check-ups. After that they would meet the Senator and then be allocated their sleeping quarters.

The medical centre was in one of the large conference rooms of the hotel. It had been divided into smaller, private areas using curtains and screens, clearly taken from hospitals. Several doctors and nurses greeted them, taking blood samples and running several other tests. Finally it was finished and Carrie ushered them to another large room, this one laid out as a mess hall.

"When we managed to regain control of the capital it made sense to use the large hotels as bases" Carrie told them as they waited for the Senator to arrive.

"There are over 300 rooms here, in the W, plus large meeting rooms that have been turned into the dorms and the medical centre we just came from. This was the restaurant but can now seat a couple of hundred people at a time for meals. There's an enormous well equipped kitchen and the underground parking area makes great storage for food and other supplies"

The door swung open and an elegant, attractive woman in an expensive looking pants suit entered. She looked to be in her mid-fifties, greying hair tied back in a neat bun, her dark eyes sweeping over all of them before her face broke out in a smile.

"Welcome" she held her arms out "I'm Senator Sarah Russell. It's so good to see people are still making it on the outside and finding their way here. I'm sure you're all going to fit in just fine" As he watched her Rick noticed that for all her friendly greetings and kind words her eyes stayed hard and detached and he had his first prickle of unease since arriving at the hotel.

"I'm sure that Carrie has explained our system so the next thing is to get you sorted into accommodation where you can get cleaned up, find some fresh clothes and then we'll set about the individual meetings and finding you all the right jobs to do" Senator Russell studied the clipboard Carrie held out to her.

"I see we have a father with two children and two married couples" she smiled at Judith, nestled in Carl's arms.

"I think I would like to show this adorable little girl and her family to their quarters myself" she cooed "If the couples would follow Carrie I'll have somebody collect the rest of you in a few moments"

With a look at Rick, waiting for confirmation Maggie and Glenn moved to stand by the Senator's aide. Self-consciously Tasha and Daryl followed. Tasha saw the woman's cold eyes assessing them and knew she didn't believe their story.

They followed Carrie out into the foyer area and she led them up several flights of stairs.

"We've rigged up solar panels so there's some electricity for cooking and hot water but it's not enough to power the elevators. You'll get pretty fit from all the stairs" she joked a she showed Maggie and Glenn into their room.

"The keys here were all electronic so there's no way to lock the doors. I'd suggest if you want privacy that you ram a chair under the door handle" she raised an eyebrow "Don't want anyone just walking in at the wrong time now do we?"

Tasha was sure she heard the scrape of wood against metal before they even turned away from the closed door.

"This is yours" Carrie pushed open the door to a large room. "There's a bedroom and a bathroom. All meals are eaten downstairs; you'll get the meal schedule when you get your jobs assigned to you"

She turned away from them, stopping briefly.

"Just be aware the Senator is doing great things here and she's a wonderful woman, but she's not stupid and doesn't like being played for a fool. Take care around her" she warned before finally leaving them alone.

**A/N Thanks for reading. Please take a few seconds to leave a review to let me know what you thought. I find it hard to find the time to write now as I'm caring for my sick daughter and tend to have to write in the early hours of the morning, sometimes up until 4 or 5. Reviews are the only way I know if it is worth continuing. My last 3 attempts have only had 1 review between them and barely any follows or favourites. This will probably be my last attempt on this site unless I feel people are enjoying it, I love writing for the Walking Dead but don't want to waste my time, or yours as readers, if my writing isn't good enough. My story, Nine Lives, has almost 31,000 views and only 24 reviews and I would love to know where I am gong wrong.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read this, next chapter will be up soon if I feel people are interested enough.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Valentines Day - Please review and make me feel loved.**

**Enjoy.**

Chapter 2

Daryl looked around the opulent room, as well as the king sized bed there was a couch and armchair, with a large table between them. Against the wall was a heavy antique looking desk and chair, a huge wardrobe next to them. Opening it he found it was full of men and women's clothes in several different sizes. Hopefully he checked the mini fridge that was tucked in the corner of the closet but it was empty of all alcohol.

"Damn room's almost bigger than the house I grew up in" he called to Tasha, suddenly noticing she wasn't behind him. He heard the sound of water and realised she'd started the shower running.

"Hey"

Daryl turned to see her standing in the bathroom doorway.

"Get your ass over here" she called as she turned back into the bathroom.

Suddenly unsure, Daryl moved to the doorway, hesitating when he got there. Tasha reached out and grabbed his jacket, pulling him in and slamming the door shut.

"What the hell?" he hissed, knocking her hands away "This aint the time to be foolin' around"

Tasha glared at him.

"In your dreams" she countered.

"We need to talk and I don't know if they've bugged the room or not. The sound of the shower will cover our voices. I don't know what Rick was playing at and this isn't the ideal situation but it's what we're stuck with. I guess he thought you wouldn't stay if you had to go into the dorms with the others. I don't like it any more than you do but we have to make it work, so that means we gotta try and look like a pair of newly-weds "

"I aint walking round holdin' hands and gettin' all lovey with yer" Daryl snapped.

"Not asking you to, just don't start yelling at me again. Try and make it look like you at least like me" Tasha retorted. She saw Daryl frown at her.

"Aint never said I don't like you" he said quietly, avoiding her eyes.

A knock on the door startled them both. When she opened it Tasha found Carrie standing there an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you this soon, but Senator Russell has requested you be the first she meets with. She wants to get all military personnel and police back on duty as soon as possible" Reluctantly Tasha nodded, all thoughts of a hot shower and clean clothes pushed away.

"You gonna get yer ass back in here or am I gonna have to come get yer?" Daryl's gruff voice came from behind her. She saw Carrie's eyes widen slightly as they moved over Tasha's shoulder. With a small smile the aide leaned forward.

"It's a pity that when I knocked I didn't get a reply and had to get Abraham instead" she whispered, eyes still on whatever was behind Tasha. The soldier turned and bit back a laugh at the sight of Daryl leaning on the bathroom doorframe. He'd removed his leather vest and jacket and his sleeveless shirt was undone as was his belt and the button on his pants. He gave the two women a lazy smirk.

"Hot water aint gonna last forever" he turned and sauntered back into the small room.

"I can stall the Senator for about an hour" Carrie shoved her towards the bathroom "Go, make the most of it" she backed out the door, giving a final wistful look across the room.

"Have fun" she said as she slipped away.

Tasha found Daryl leaning on the hand basin, smirk still in place.

"That newly-wed enough for you?" he asked as he buttoned up his shirt again.

"When we get divorced I'm pretty sure Carrie'll be there with open arms, just waiting to comfort you" she laughed "Damn woman was all but drooling"

Carrie was true to her word and it was just over an hour later when she knocked again. Tasha let her in, making a show about pulling her shirt on and running her fingers through her still damp, tangled hair. Carrie blushed when she saw Daryl was still lazing in the rumpled bed, the blanket pulled up under his chin, his hair ruffled and a satisfied smile on his face.

As soon as the women had left he kicked the covers off and climbed fully clothed from the bed. He had no intention of waiting around to be summoned by the Senator; he was going to nose around a bit and see what he could find. Something felt off about this place, it was just too damn perfect.

Tasha returned to their room several hours later. Senator Russell had questioned her about her military experiences before moving on to more personnel matters. She'd asked about her relationship with Daryl and their so called marriage before finally moving on to her new position in the city.

"Soldiers with experience like yours are few and far between nowadays. I'm going to send you straight over to the barracks to meet my CO. If he thinks you're up to it I'm going to instruct him to give you your own unit. It will then be your job to patrol the streets, escorting and protecting the civilians on supply runs" With that she'd been dismissed, a young corporal escorting her to a waiting jeep and driving her to the military headquarters, several blocks away. There she'd been put through her paces by Colonel Donovan, a grey bearded man with decades of service under his belt. Once she'd proved herself she'd been sent to collect her new uniform and weapons before finally being allowed to leave. All she wanted to do now was eat something then crawl into the big comfortable bed and sleep.

As she trudged up the stairs she reminded herself to fill Daryl in on what she'd told Senator Russell about the two of them. She was sure the older woman hadn't believed a word of it but to stand any chance of keeping up the pretence they needed to tell the same story.

She entered the room, expecting to see Daryl pacing impatiently; she knew how much he hated being confined inside. Instead, to her surprise, the room was empty.

Daryl cursed himself again for being so dumb. The lump on the back of his head had finally stopped bleeding but still hurt like a bitch. The cuffs holding his arms behind him were rubbing, the skin on his wrists chafed and bloody. He'd only meant to take a look around, to try and get a feel for the place but instead ended up charging in, unarmed and outnumbered, trying to help the kids the soldiers were bundling into the back of a covered truck.

When he first sneaked out of the hotel he'd wandered around for a while until he heard raised voices. Cautiously, and because he'd nothing better to do, he'd followed the sounds to a small yard, tucked behind a large building. A truck was parked there and four soldiers were manhandling a group of teens into the back, yelling at them to move faster. The kids were bound and gagged and clearly frightened. One of them, a boy not much older than Carl made a run for it. At once he was knocked to the floor, the soldiers placing several kicks to his ribs. Without thinking Daryl had ran out and grabbed the nearest man, pulling him away from the boy and knocking him on his ass with a vicious punch to the jaw. Instantly the remaining three had turned on him, not holding back as they laid into him. They had dragged him to his knees and the one he'd first hit had smacked him over the back of the head with the butt of his gun. When he woke up again he was locked in a small room, hurting all over, with a blinding headache, double vision and sore wrists.

Painfully he settled himself in a corner, leaning against the wall as he tried to take stock of the damage. The blow to the head was the most obvious and he was sure at least two ribs were severely bruised, if not broken. One eye was swollen almost shut, he could feel crusty dried blood on his forehead and his jaw ached. His arms and legs were stiff and bruised and he was convinced one of the black and purple marks on his left arm was a boot print, he vaguely remembered seeing a smiling soldier raising his foot and it coming towards his head, he'd only just got his arm up in time to protect himself.

At the sound of a key turning in the lock he scrambled to his feet, almost falling again as the room tilted crazily and a wave of nausea swept over him. Two soldiers entered, one with a semi- automatic pointed at him as the other reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Senator Russell want to see you" he was told as he was dragged from the room and pulled down several corridors before finally being shoved into a small office. The soldier forced him onto a chair in front of a large desk. Senator Russell sat on the other side, regarding him intently for several seconds. He stared back, waiting for her to speak.

She stood and walked round the desk, stopping in front of him, her hands behind her back. Finally she spoke.

"Are the rest of your group going to be as much trouble as you? Did I make a mistake in allowing them to stay?" her eyes bored into his "Am I going to have to send my men to deal with them?"

He'd planned on giving her the silent treatment, he knew how much that pissed people like her off, but when she threatened the group he had to speak up.

"They got nothing to do with this, they don't even know I went out" he told her, realising too late that admission was a mistake.

"They don't know you went out so that means they have no idea where you are" she circled the chair, stopping in front of him again.

"That means we can tell them you decided not to stay, that you left of your own free will, without saying goodbye because you felt it was the best option, the kindest way. It's quite obvious that you're not comfortable here" She gave him a cold smile. "I'm sure your lovely 'wife' will be able to move on without you" She emphasized the word Wife, her tone mocking.

"An attractive woman like her could have any man she wanted. Maybe she'll be able to marry for real instead of this sham you tried to get away with. I'm not sure why Deputy Grimes decided to do it but at some point that lie will be dealt with. At the moment I need all police and armed forces on side" Abruptly she turned away from him.

"Take him to the bunker, they always need test subjects, we may as well get some use from him" She ordered. His arms were gripped again and he was dragged outside.

As they shoved him along the hallways he saw a familiar sign on one of the doors and dug his heels in, forcing them to stop.

"Need to take a piss" he told the two men.

"Tough, gonna have to hold it in" one of them sneered.

Daryl shrugged,

"S'up to you, you wanna end up cleaning piss off your boots it's your choice" he told them crudely.

Exchanging disgusted glances, one of them shoved the door to the rest room open as the other pushed him through.

"Get a move on" he demanded, rifle aimed at Daryl's chest.

"You gonna undo these, or you want to hold it for me?" He asked, turning his back and lifting his cuffed wrists.

With an annoyed growl the soldier pulled out a key and released one wrist. Daryl turned away from him, pretending to fumble with his belt.

"Did you really think anyone would believe a good looking, educated woman like Captain Jackson would marry a piece of low life redneck crap like you?" the soldier suddenly asked.

Turning to look at the man Daryl flashed him a smirk.

"Dunno" he replied "but it was my bed she was in earlier and she weren't complaining" As the soldier gave him a disbelieving look, Daryl's fist flashed out, smacking the distracted man in the face. He crumpled to the ground and Daryl snatched the key from his hand, freeing his other wrist. He grabbed the rifle and the handgun from the man's holster. A quick search of his uniform pockets found a few rounds of ammunition. There was also a half full pack of cigarettes which Daryl happily pocketed. He placed himself at the side of the door and waited. A few moments later the door opened slightly.

"What's taking so long?" the other soldier inched into the restroom, rifle raised. Daryl let him get almost through the door then grabbed the barrel of the weapon, pulling it forward and yanking it down, at the same time slamming the door into the man's face. He dragged the dazed man into the rest room, bringing his knee up hard, not caring when he heard the crack of cartilage from the man's nose. He dropped him to the ground, alongside his colleague and cleaned him out of anything worth having.

Flinching from all the aches and pains, his head still spinning, he peered into the corridor. There was no sign of anyone and he slipped quietly out. He had no idea where he was, he only knew he had to get back to the others and warn them something was wrong.

Rick bit back the smile as Carl continued to complain about the fact he was being sent back to school. Their meetings with Senator Russell had gone well. Rick had been assigned police duty and was happy to be doing something so familiar again. Carl was horrified to find out that those aged between 5 and 16 had to receive lessons. He calmed down a little when they found out that Carol was going to be one of the tutors, the teacher training college course she had given up when she married Ed finally coming into use. Judith was to go to nursery with several other pre-schoolers. Beth had been given a job assisting the woman in charge of the youngsters.

They had all met up in the mess hall, claiming a table for themselves as they ate. It had been a surprise to find Rosita working there when they arrived until she confessed she had taken a 2 year course at catering collage and was actually a qualified chef. As a former lawyer Michonne had been given a position in the Senator's office, something she was not happy about.

Maggie and Glenn had arrived late, blissful expressions on their faces, causing a few eye rolls and ribald comments from Abraham, looking content to be back in full uniform again.

"At least we actually made it here" Maggie pouted "I don't see Tasha and Daryl" There were a few sniggers from round the table.

"I guess they're making up for lost time" Tara grinned. She was pleased to have been sent to work in the police department, alongside Rick.

"Speak of the devil" Glenn nodded towards the entrance as Tasha appeared, looking around for them. The jokes and crude comments died when they saw her serious expression.

"Have any of you seen Daryl?" She demanded. At once the jovial mood vanished, as people shook their heads.

"Not since you left with Carrie" Rick was on alert. "When did you last see him?"

"I had my meeting with Senator Russell and she sent me straight to the barracks. I was there a while and when I got back there was no sign of him. I just thought he was having his interview or with you guys and I was so wiped out I fell asleep. That was hours ago and he's still not back" Instantly they were all on their feet.

"I'll go find Carrie, see if she knows anything. The rest of you set out and see if you can find him. Try the nearest parks and green areas, he's probably trying to hunt" Rick strode from the hall, the rest hurrying behind him.

The distant sound of automatic weapons stopped them in their tracks.

**Chapter 3 is written and reviews will make me post it faster :)**

**Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**Thanks to the few that have followed and favourite this story, I really appreciate it.**

Chapter 3

Daryl knew that, yet again, he was in big trouble. Leaving the rest room he'd followed the signs for the fire exit, assuming that would lead him outside. He'd barely gone fifty yards before he was spotted and the alarm raised. With one stolen gun over his shoulder, the other held in front of him, he'd run for it. He plunged through the exit, blinking in the strong sunlight as he ran across the street. Soldiers had poured out from the building he'd just left. Still running he'd held the rifle behind him, spraying the street with bullets, forcing his pursuers to dive for cover.

Somehow he'd managed to get ahead of them but the restricted vision and injured ribs were slowing him down. Now he was leaning on a wall, fighting for breath as his chest pounded. Desperately he searched for somewhere to hole up. Ahead he saw a metro sign, stairs leading down to the station. He threw himself towards them, bullets raking the pavement at his feet as he raced down the steps. Once in the station he took shelter, wheezing for air, behind a long defunct ticket machine. He saw the shadows of the approaching troops as they moved almost silently towards him. Again he fired randomly, once again causing them to fall back. He tossed the now empty gun to one side and pulled the second from his back. Head down he charged across the ticket hall, heading for the now stationary escalators. He hurtled down the metal staircase, barely in control of his feet. He was about half way down when the bullets hit the wall close to his head, showering him in shards of ceramic tile and brick. He fired up the escalator but the soldiers were wise to him now and had already taken cover. More bullets hit the stairs and wall and he felt a sharp pain in his hip. He stumbled and lost his already precarious footing, tumbling down the rest of the flight. The sharp metal edges of the stairs dug into his battered body and he hit the tiled floor of the platform heavily, smacking the lump on the back of his head again.

"Bastards down!"

He heard the shout and the sound of footsteps heading down the stairs towards him. With a groan and a huge amount of effort he rolled over, pushing himself to his feet. He realised he'd lost his grip on the rifle and didn't stand a chance of finding it in the total darkness of the underground. Limping painfully he moved to the edge of the platform, half climbing, half falling onto the tracks. He stumbled into the tunnel, hoping to find a maintenance door or another way out. He could see the beams of flashlights as they swept around the platform, searching for him.

"He must be in the tunnels" one of them called.

With a muffled curse he made himself move faster, one hand on the wall at his side, the other held out in front of him as he moved deeper into the darkness. His outstretched hand hit something solid, forcing him to stop. Blindly groping with both hands he realised the width of the tunnel was blocked with debris. Reaching up he felt as far as he could reach without finding a space. There was no obvious way through, he was trapped.

Rick, Tasha and the others had met back in the foyer of the W. Tasha was shaking her head as Rick filled them in on what he had found out.

"I don't care what she said, there's no way he would just take off like that, not without saying something" she protested.

"He wouldn't just leave without a weapon or any provisions, no matter how much he didn't like it here" Carol agreed with her.

"I know" Rick ran his hands through his hair in frustration "That's what I said but Carrie reckoned the guard that let him out said he gave him a knife"

"It's still a load of bullcrap" Abraham stepped forward "Even I know he wouldn't just run out on y'all"

"What about the gunfire we heard?" Beth asked

"Apparently a couple of walkers got into the safe area. The patrol took them out and found the breech. It's all fixed up again"

Rick's mind was racing, he didn't want to think that Daryl would just up and go but he knew his friend hadn't wanted to come into the city, that he was far more at home in the forest. Nothing he had seen in his tour of the safe areas of DC had made him doubt its genuineness and he really wanted to believe that he had found a safe place for his kids, for his whole extended family. He made his decision, knowing not everyone would be happy.

"I say for now we go along with them, we've shelter, food and protection here. We let them think we accept what they say but we keep searching for Daryl. We keep our eyes open for anything suspicious; keep our guard up, stay alert" As he expected there were protests but he convinced them it was the right thing to do. As they returned to their quarters to gather what was needed for their search, he let the guilt roll over him. If he was being totally honest with himself he was no longer sure if he was thinking of anything more than just the safety of his kids, whatever the cost.

Daryl could see several flashlight beams working their way down the tunnel towards him. It was only going to be a matter of minutes before he was spotted. Pressing his back against the tunnel wall he drew the two handguns he'd taken earlier, planning to take out as many as he could before they finally got him. Crouching to make himself as small a target as possible he fired, aiming just above one of the lights. There was a muffled curse and the light jerked back before continuing towards him. He remembered the soldiers were wearing full body armour, the handguns not powerful enough to penetrate it. He continued to fire anyway, hoping to get a few lucky shots, but the guns emptied and the men drew ever closer. He could make out the dark shapes behind the lights and knew they would be on him in seconds. The sweeping beams scanned the tunnel, one finally finding him. Instantly several more were pointed in his direction, causing him to lift a hand in front of his eyes. Slowly he stood, defiantly glaring at the approaching figures as he saw them raise their weapons.

The air was suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire, several of the men in front of him dropping with fatal head wounds. Others turned away and began firing up at the pile of debris alongside him. More fell and the remainder made a rapid retreat. A noise made him look up and he saw more lights near the roof of the tunnel. He could make out people scrambling over the barrier and climbing down it, weapons clutched in their hands as they reached the floor. Two of them approached him.

"You must have really pissed them off if they came down here after you" an amused woman's voice came from the darkness. He felt hands grab his arms and tried to bat them away but he was just so damn tired and everything hurt, especially his head. His hip was throbbing but he no longer know if he'd been shot, hit by shrapnel from the escalator wall or it was just bruised.

The hands pulled him towards the pile.

"You gotta climb over here so we can get you back to basecamp" The buzzing in his ears made the woman's voice sound as if he were underwater, he could barely make out the words. He didn't resist as he was helped to climb, his hands and feet placed for him when he couldn't work out what to do with them himself. They squeezed through the narrow gap at the top and began the descent. Suddenly it was all too much effort, his vision dimmed and he lost the ability to hold on any more. Despite all attempts to grip on to him he passed out and toppled the last few feet, landing in an unconscious heap at the strange woman's feet.

Tasha reined in the horse as her eyes scanned the ground, looking for any signs that someone had been through the area. She had spent every spare moment of the last three days searching for Daryl, along with Maggie, Glenn, Beth and Carol. The others had helped for a while but had soon got swept up with life in the city. Eugene had been spirited away to an undisclosed location, to work with other scientists in finding a cure, the others seduced by the good food, warm beds and hot showers.

With her farming experience and veterinarian skills picked up from Herschel, Maggie had been sent to work with the livestock, taking care of the horses used by the troops for patrols further away from the safe area. She had turned a blind eye when Tasha turned up at the stables, allowing her to take a horse to cover greater distances in her search.

She rolled her neck, stretching her shoulders as she urged the horse on. She'd covered a lot of ground, targeting the parks near the Washington Monument and those alongside the Potomac River but found nothing. Reluctantly, as darkness began to fall, she turned the animal and began to head back to the stables and the safe area. She would try again tomorrow.

Daryl jerked awake to the alien feeling of hands on his stomach, fingers gliding over his hip. He was lying on his back on a makeshift mattress on the floor and tried to sit up. He found his hands were bound together and pulled above his head, the rope tied to a rusting radiator behind him. He tried to twist around but couldn't move his legs and the pain in his ribs caused him to groan out loud.

"Take it easy, darlin" a calm voice told him "You've had a rough time but you're gonna be okay now"

The hands moved from his hip to his chest, holding him down, stopping him from thrashing around. As he forced himself to take a few deep breathes his head began to clear and he became more aware of his surroundings. He was in a small room, windows along the top half of one wall overlooking a large warehouse type area. There were several people stacking boxes and sorting through supplies. More people were cleaning weapons and others were sitting around chatting, a few sleeping on makeshift beds. Those awake were armed and alert, ready for action instantly.

He focused his attention closer to home, suddenly working out the reason he couldn't move his legs was the dark haired woman straddling his thighs. She flashed him a smile as she moved her hands from his chest back to his hip. His eyes followed her hands and he saw to his embarrassment his shirt was shoved up his chest, his belt and pants undone, the waistband pulled back to reveal the deep gash on his hip. The woman was cleaning it up with a damp cloth.

"Now honey, I'm gonna put some liquor on this to clean it. It's a waste of good booze and it'll sting like hell but we don't have anything else. You're lucky the bullet just grazed you, nothing more" She upended a bottle and poured the amber liquid over the wound, laughing as he gave a hiss of pain.

"Now don't you go being a baby about this. I'm guessing you've had it a hell of a lot worse in the past" She ran her finger over the scar on his stomach "You can't tell me this didn't hurt a whole lot more"

"Get yer damn hands off" he growled as he tried to twist free "and get the hell off me" she only laughed again as she picked up a needle and thread.

"That's not the way to talk to the woman that's about to sew you back together and I gotta stay sitting on you to keep you still" she commented as she jabbed the needle into his skin. He cursed her again as she quickly and neatly placed a few stitches, closing up the wound before covering it with a fabric square and holding it in place with strips of duct tape. Once it was done she unfolded his waistband, covering the injury, her hands moving to the button on his pants.

Looking down she gave him a slow smile.

"Anything else I can do for you right now, just while I'm here" she said suggestively.

"Chrissie, leave the man alone, he's suffered enough. He don't need you and your games right now"

A tall African American man approached them, shaking his head as he pulled out a knife. He knelt next to Daryl, cutting through the ropes restraining him.

"You've been out for best part of a day, didn't know if you were going to make it, thought it was best to keep you tied down just in case" he explained apologetically.

"Chrissie, why don't you go and get our friend here something to eat and drink; then I'll fill him in on everything"

"Sure thing, Greg" Chrissie rose to her feet in a graceful movement, holding her hand out to Daryl, offering to help him up. She laughed when he ignored it, choosing to pull himself up using the radiator, turning his back while he adjusted his clothing. She was only gone a few moments, returning with a cup of tepid water and a few stale crackers.

"We're getting real low again, time for another raid" she was serious as she handed the items to Daryl. He didn't want to take them but he was so thirsty and hungry he wolfed them down. He figured it had been at least 48 hours since he'd last eaten.

Chrissie took her leave, saying she had to start planning the raid but before she left she leant in close to Daryl.

"You need anything else, sweetie, you just come find me anytime, day or night" she gave him a wink and swayed her way out of the room.

"I always feel I need to apologise for Chrissie" Greg told him "She's an outrageous flirt and has a very weird sense of humour. She's also my best fighter and strongest ally"

"Where the hell am I? Who are you people?" Daryl demanded. Greg gestured toward a pair of chairs, taking one for himself.

"I guess you're one of us now whether you like it or not" he shrugged "All I can say is welcome to the Outcasts"

Michonne was not happy, she had been allocated a job in the Senator's office, helping to organise the day to day running of the community. Making the most of the position and access to information she had found out that there were over 450 people living in various hotels and another 250 troops living in or near to the military headquarters. Scanning through a ledger listing names and occupations she couldn't help but notice everyone had some kind of profession. Flipping to the end of the book she found the entries for her group. She was there, listed as lawyer. She found Rick, Carol, Abraham and Tasha. Beth was there, labelled as pre-collage, well educated. Checking twice she could find no mention of Daryl or Glenn. Curious, she asked Carrie about it.

"Oh that's because they had no official qualifications or training. The book only lists those who formally had jobs we can use. It doesn't mean the others aren't welcome." Michonne made a mental note to mention it to Rick at the first opportunity.

**A/N**

**Thanks for reading. If just a few of you could find a few seconds to leave a quick review I might feel more inclined to work on chapter 4. At the moment I'm feeling pretty disillusioned about all my work on this site. Please make my day and tell me what you think :)**

**Thanks**

**Mistyeye.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N **

**Many Thanks to Sharon for the one and only review so far. I haven't read the comic books either, I've just seen a few things online, so I've not really any idea where their storyline goes. I'm glad you're enjoying it and really appreciate that you took the time to review.**

**I know exactly how this is going to end but I'm struggling to get there, this chapter is a bit slow but is necessary to explain a few things so please stick with it.**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it.**

Chapter 4

Greg watched as Daryl paced around the small room, impressed he could keep moving despite his injuries.

"So you're saying this Senator bitch is tryin' to rebuild the US, but she don't want anyone who aint good enough in her opinion or some stuck up rich dick" Daryl was trying to make sense of the Senators plan.

"That's simplifying it a bit, but basically the right idea" Greg confirmed.

"When this all went down it was chaos at first, looting, killing and panic. Then the National Guard somehow managed to get organised. We think a lot of reservists reported for duty but there was no one to take command right away. Finally someone stepped up and things started to get better. The cops and army joined forces and everyone started to work together. Streets round the centre of the city were blocked off; stopping more of the dead bastards getting in and those left inside were hunted down and finished off. It took weeks but finally we had a safe area. The troops began to work outside the barriers, taking out as many of the geeks as they could find and escorting groups on scavenger hunts. The plan was to bring everything useful into the secure area and store it in one place. It wasn't easy but we were doing okay" Greg stopped, taking a long swig of water.

"Don't tell me, that's when she turned up, after all the hard work was finished?" Daryl had stopped pacing and was leaning on the wall, weariness catching up with him.

"You got it" Greg continued "About a year after it all went to Hell, Senator Russell comes riding into town, literally, riding in on some damn great big black horse with about 100 regular soldiers marching behind her. Said she'd come to claim back the capital, it was time to make America great again, all the usual bull. The National Guard got kinda swallowed up into her troops and the police became security guards. She took over control of the supplies and started moving people into the hotels, saying it was for safety reasons. It was okay for a month or so but then people started disappearing. At first just a few, then more and more and always those from, shall we say the wrong side of the tracks? The uneducated, the poor, the criminals. At first they said it was people leaving the city, then they said there was a sickness going round and they were separating those infected. Eventually they didn't say anything and the people keep vanishing. It was only when one man managed to escape that we found out they were looking for a cure. They needed test subjects so they just took the ones they felt had the least to offer the new society, including kids with no parents, like the ones you tried to help"

"Bitch wanted to send me to something called the bunker" Daryl told him.

Greg nodded "Sounds right, Simon, the guy that escaped said he was in some kind of underground complex. It was night when he got out and he just ran, he had no idea where it was and hasn't been able to help us find it since. It seems only a select few know its location"

Daryl studied the man in front of him, puzzled by one thing.

"How come you're down here? You talk proper, don't seem dumb. Why aint you up top running the place?" he asked.

Greg grinned at him. "I had a weakness for fast, expensive cars, trouble is they never belonged to me. I was actually in jail when this started, waiting to go on trial for auto theft. Turns out the last car I took belonged to a congressman who wasn't too happy. He wanted to make an example out of me" He shrugged "It was worth it, it was a real beauty of a car, a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, silver with gull wing doors and 0 to 100 km in 3 seconds flat" he smiled at the memory.

"Took it on the interstate, opened the roof and gunned it, nearest I'm ever going to get to heaven"

Daryl nodded in approval as both men pictured the beautiful luxury car for a few moments before returning to the present.

"What about Chrissie, what's her story?" Daryl was curious.

"She was a waitress mostly, did a few things she wasn't proud of and got herself arrested. She was in a cell waiting for bail when the police released all prisoners. That's where I met her; she saved my butt when a dead man went for me, smashed its head in with a fire extinguisher then told me we should stick together to watch each other's backs"

Greg stared through the glass, searching the warehouse area until he found Chrissie. She was studying a map of the city, planning a supply raid with two other men. She sensed him looking and glanced up, flashing him a quick smile before returning to the map.

"So you two together?" Daryl questioned. Greg shook his head,

"Hell no!" he exclaimed "She's made it clear she's not interested in anyone at the moment. All she wants is to get rid of the Senator and get the city back to as close to normal as we can"

He turned back to the small room.

"It was Chrissie's idea to use the Metro tunnels. We get around without having to go above ground and risk getting seen. We have a plan to get rid of Russell and her allies, there are people in her inner circle helping us, giving us Intel and advice. We're almost ready, just need one more raid to gather enough weapons before we can hit her" He regarded Daryl intently

"I know you have friends in the W, and a wife in the army but they won't be hurt unless they try and stop us getting to Russell" he reassured him.

Daryl decided not to correct him about Tasha, instead telling him his friends would probably help if they knew the truth behind the so called safe haven.

It had been over a week since Daryl had vanished and they had all but given up hope of finding him. Tasha had moved from the hotel room into the barracks and thrown herself back into her army duties, still angry with Rick for what she saw as his lack of loyalty towards his friend. She began to distance herself from the group, only really communicating with Abraham and only then when it was a chance meeting in the army compound.

The others had settled into life in DC, enjoying the safety and the fact they had all they needed to hand. Carl had reluctantly accepted the fact he had to return to school and Judith seemed to be thriving at the preschool, enjoying the company of other youngsters like herself.

Rick couldn't shake his feeling of guilt for abandoning Daryl, he couldn't meet Tasha's eye on the few occasions they crossed paths, knowing she felt he'd let the man he called his brother down. He knew she was right but told himself he had to think of his kids and the rest of the group. The needs of the many had to outweigh the needs of one single person but that thought didn't make it easier to sleep at night.

Tasha was leaving the mess hall when she saw Carrie heading towards her. The Senator's aide was smiling as usual as she stopped Tasha passing her by.

"Captain Jackson" she grasped Tasha's hand "I just wanted to congratulate you on that successful raid you lead yesterday. Those supplies you and your patrol found will keep us going for weeks"

Tasha stared at the woman in surprise; they had only found a couple of boxes of canned fruit, hidden under a bed in one of the houses they'd checked out. It was a good find but nothing spectacular. She was about to comment when the look in Carrie's eyes silenced her. As Carrie released her hand Tasha realised she had pressed a folded piece of paper into her palm. The younger woman smiled again as she walked away, leaving Tasha watching her intently.

As soon as she was out of sight of everyone Tasha unfolded the paper. To her confusion she realised it was a tourist map of the DC metro system. Studying it closer she saw that one of the stations had been circled in marker pen. Frowning she glanced in the direction Carrie had gone. She had no idea what the woman was trying to tell her.

Daryl had lost track of how long he had been underground. He guessed it had been days but with no view of outside it was impossible to tell. The first few days had been spent recovering from his injuries. The lump on his head had finally gone and his eye was still bruised but no longer swollen almost shut. His ribs still ached but the strapping he had reluctantly allowed Chrissie to wrap around them had helped. The wound on his side was healing well, no longer painful, just stiff and a little uncomfortable.

He'd spent a lot of time sleeping on the mattress in the small office as his body mended. There'd been an awkward moment one night when he'd woken to find Chrissie crawling under the covers alongside him.

"The hell you doin'?" he'd growled at her as she rolled onto her side, her back to him.

"Tryin' to get some sleep, you wanna keep the noise down a bit?" she replied and he could hear the amusement in her voice.

"You gotta do that here?" he demanded, flinching as she rolled onto her back and fixed him with a look that could kill a lesser man.

"It's my damn bed" she retorted "you've had it the past two nights, now I want somewhere better than the floor to sleep" with that she turned her back on him again. He moved as far away as possible and tried to settle down.

"Long as you can keep your hands to yourself we shouldn't have a problem" her voice came from the darkness and he relaxed slightly until her next words.

"Course you don't wanna keep your hands to yourself I'm not going to complain too much" he heard her laugh quietly as he tried to move even further away, all but rolling off the mattress.

She was gone when he awoke and the first thing he did was find Greg, asking him for somewhere else to sleep. Daryl admitted to himself that he liked Chrissie, thought she was funny and tough but her flirty behaviour scared the crap out of him.

He was with Greg, Chrissie and a few other men discussing the raid to obtain weapons, when there was a commotion at the entrance to the camp. One of the patrols had returned, bringing a captive with them.

"Found her snooping round the station" Don, a former convict explained. "She didn't put up a fight, just said she was looking for someone" The woman had her hands bound behind her and a grubby pillow case over her head as they pushed her forward.

Greg pulled the bag from the woman's head and Daryl found himself staring at Tasha. She was wearing jeans and a loose sweatshirt and he noticed she'd cut her light brown hair, now it barely brushed her shoulders. Her gaze found him and she froze briefly before continuing to scan the room and the people in it, giving no indication she had recognised him.

"Why were you in the station?" Greg asked "If the Senator sent you to scout us out she made a poor choice"

Tasha fixed him with that scathing look Daryl knew only too well.

"No one sent me. If I was scouting you out your men wouldn't have found me and my troops would already be down here" she informed him, full of confidence, no fear at her situation.

"So you admit you're one of the Senators pet soldiers" Greg moved closer, leaning into her face, trying to intimidate her.

"I ask again, why are you here?"

Tasha sighed "I'm nobody's pet and I was looking for someone" she told him calmly.

"Who?" Chrissie stepped towards her "and why?"

Before Tasha could reply Daryl spoke.

"Me" he told them "I guess she's lookin' for me"

A grin split Chrissies face as realisation dawned.

"This is your wife isn't it?" she exclaimed "She's been looking for you all this time, how romantic"

Daryl knew he wasn't the fastest on the uptake but even he could spot the mocking tone in the younger woman's voice.

Greg turned, giving him a long assessing look.

"Is that true? Is this your wife?"

Daryl hesitated, giving Tasha a helpless glance, annoyed when she just gave him a small smirk.

"S'complicated" he mumbled "She aint my wife but she kinda is while we're here" He could feel everyone staring as he tried to explain, relief flooding over him as Tasha finally took pity and explained the situation.

Greg nodded to Don and he cut through the rope binding her hands.

"They tried to tell us you'd left the city" she told Daryl as she stood at his side "Knew it was a lie, what really happened?"

"You want some privacy you can use my room" Chrissie flashed Daryl a wicked grin "you know where it is"

From the corner of his eye he caught Tasha's expression of disbelief and braced himself.

"I've been searching for you all this time, every spare minute I've had, so have some of the others and all this time you've been shacked up down here with her?" She hissed.

"It weren't like that" he tried to defend himself but Tasha was angrier than he'd ever seen her.

"Beth nearly got herself bit tryin' to find you. It was just luck a patrol came by and saved her in time. She wouldn't give up, neither would Carol, Glen or Maggie. None of us have slept a full night since you went AWOL" She yelled, not caring who was listening.

"He was down here recovering from what your friends in uniform did to him" Suddenly Chrissie was in Tasha's face . "We saved him, took care of him"

"I'll bet you did" Tasha snarled back, refusing to be intimidated by the angry woman in front of her.

"What the hell'd you mean by that?" Chrissie demanded.

Daryl watched as the two women argued, finally he shook his head and stomped off, hearing Greg laughing behind him.

**Only a couple more chapters left, I'll get them up as soon as I can.**

**Thanks for reading **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tasha watched Daryl quietly as he busied himself cleaning some of the weapons stored in the camp. She knew he was aware of her presence and that he was deliberately ignoring her. She studied the healing bruises visible on his arms and the still tender looking black eye. As he reached forward to pick up another gun his shirt rose slightly and she caught a glimpse of the dressing on his hip and the strapping around his chest, noting how he flinched slightly as he moved, his injured ribs obviously still giving him pain.

Finally she spoke.

"I was barely 18 when I signed up for the army. My Daddy was in the Navy and always overseas when I was growing up. My Mama died in a car accident when I was 16. I had no brothers or sisters and figured it was the best thing. I always thought the US forces were the greatest in the world, ready to fight for the underdog, fight to keep the peace if necessary."

He glanced up, watching her as she spoke, her voice sad.

"Now I know I was wrong, it's made up of men just the same as any other, just as selfish and cruel, just as ready to look out for themselves. The army's nothing special" she gave him a small rueful smile.

"How dumb was I?" she finished.

Daryl stood and moved towards her.

"They aint all bad" he told her "Greg says there's plenty don't agree with the Senator's plan, plenty that are helping out as much as they can" he told her.

"Maybe so, but there still seems to be more bad than good" He'd never seen her so negative, so defeated.

"You're in the army and you aint too bad" he tried to lighten the situation, desperately hoping she wasn't going to cry.

"I'm taking that as a compliment" she flashed him a grin, more like her old self.

"I'm going back" she told him "Greg and Chrissie filled me in. I'm going to do what I can to help. Carrie's onside as well. It was her told me where to look for you" she was quiet again for a few seconds.

"I knew you wouldn't just run out on us, not without saying something. I'm sorry you were hurt but I'm glad I found you, the others will be as well" She moved closer and her hand cupped his cheek, her thumb gently tracing the bruise under his eye.

"I missed you" she said softly as she moved closer still. He leaned in to her, their foreheads touching as his hand moved to her side.

"Opps!" Chrissie was behind them, an apologetic look on her face "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt only Don's ready to take you back to the station, don't want you getting lost in the tunnels"

Quickly they stepped apart, the moment gone. Tasha gave him a last glance as she followed Chrissie.

"I'll see you soon. Take care" she told him.

Daryl gave her a brief nod "You too, watch your back up there"

He watched as she walked away, a bad feeling about the whole situation.

Carrie was working alone in the underground storage area. She was slightly confused as to why Senator Russell had sent her to inventory the food supplies, they had people whose job it was to keep stock of everything stored there but she had learned not to question the older woman's judgement.

Soft footsteps behind her made her turn quickly; the area was poorly lit with only a couple of oil lanterns throwing their soft glow into the area. Carrie had always found it slightly creepy and didn't like to be alone down there.

She gave a relieved smile when she saw the Senator approaching. The smile faded when she saw the woman's serous expression.

"Is something wrong?" she asked as the other woman stopped a few feet from her, staring silently, her hands behind her back.

"How long have you been with me?" Senator Russell asked suddenly.

Carrie gave her a puzzled look.

"Pretty much from the beginning of all this" she replied uneasily. "Is there a problem?"

"You've been my most trusted aide, my closest adviser and I considered you to be a friend" the Senator's voice was cold as she bought her hands in front of her.

Carrie gasped as she saw the gun aimed at her.

"That's why I find this so difficult. I know you have been betraying me and passing information to those who wish me harm." Before Carrie could move the Senator pulled the trigger. She felt the bullet tear into her stomach before she fell to the cold ground. As she felt her life leaving her she heard more footsteps and the Senators voice issuing orders.

"Take her and put her with the others. Let her turn like the rest" The last thing she saw was two sets of booted feet approaching and hands reaching for her before everything faded and went black.

Tasha was back in uniform and due on duty. She was determined to find the bunker and do what she could to end the Senators insane plan. She was stealthily making her way around the back of the W when she saw two uniformed men dragging a body from the underground carpark. She ducked back behind an abandoned car, watching as they dumped the still figure in the back of a truck. With a jolt of shock she realised it was Carrie and knew the Senator had found out her aide was helping those opposing her.

As the truck pulled away she ran onto the street, trying to follow it. A young corporal was just pulling up in a jeep and she pulled rank on him, commandeering the vehicle and following the truck, keeping a safe distance behind it as it made its way through the streets. After a short drive it pulled through a set of gates and made it way to a familiar building.

"Figures" Tasha muttered to herself as she pulled the jeep to the side of the road, gazing at the once manicured lawns in front of the White House, watching as the truck drove round the side of the still elegant building and disappeared from sight. As she pulled away, heading back towards the barracks, she decided to come back after dark to see what she could find out.

Once again Daryl found himself in trouble, only this time Chrissie was by his side and they were both trapped, pinned down by soldiers as they'd tried to take the weapons they needed for the attack on the Senator and her allies. Greg had assured them the plan was fool proof; they were acting on information from a trusted source, nothing could go wrong he'd told them. He'd been wrong; everything had been screwed from the start.

The group of eight had arrived at the location they'd been told a shipment of weapons was being transferred to, only to find no guns and a squad of 12 heavily armed, well prepared men waiting for them. In the first exchange of fire they had lost four men. Daryl had managed to grab Chrissie and pull her behind a car, face planting both of them into the ground as the bullets raked the buildings behind them and the car in front, showering them with rubble and broken glass from the vehicles windows.

Risking a glance Daryl saw the other two survivors face down on the pavement, guns to the backs of their heads. He turned away before the shots rang out, not wanting to see what happened; angry he was unable to stop it.

He felt Chrissie's hand on his arm and glanced at her. She indicated behind him, pointing to the building, he saw a door now open, torn apart by the bullets that had been directed towards them.

He gave her a grim look and checked his weapon, noting she did the same. With a final look at each other they both rose, simultaneously firing at the men and turning to run. Bullets hit the wall in front of them and the ground at their feet and he vaguely thought he heard someone call they wanted these two alive before they were through the wreaked door.

They found themselves in a looted store, the shelves stripped of anything useful. Quickly they made their way toward the back of the building, aware of the sounds of pursuit.

"There's a safe house a few blocks from here. If we can make it there we should be okay" Chrissie informed him as they pushed out of the rear exit of the store. Daryl slammed the door, using the butt of his rifle to smash the handle off, hoping it would give them a few more precious seconds to lose those chasing them.

The safe house was set back from the street, a once elegant garden in front and a park behind. Chrissie picked her way carefully through the rubble scattered around the front of the property, telling him to step where she did to avoid the booby traps left to prevent anyone from sneaking up on those inside. Once at the house she ignored the main entrance and went instead to a ground floor window.

"The doors rigged to blow if anyone tries to open it" she warned him as she retrieved a key from its hiding place. She removed a section of the wooden frame and revealed a hidden lock. It wasn't long before they were inside the house and the window closed behind them. Chrissie lead him upstairs to a bedroom overlooking the front of the house. Several packs of food and bottles of water were stored under the bed and they helped themselves.

"Did you hear them say they wanted us alive?" Chrissie asked him, a frown on her face as he nodded.

"Why us?" She questioned and he shrugged, not having a clue.

They decided to wait until nightfall before leaving, planning to use the cover of darkness to make their way to the nearest metro station and the relative safety of the tunnels.

Chrissie sat on the bed, back resting against the headboard, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"They knew we were coming, the whole thing was a trap wasn't it?" she said quietly "The only way they knew our plan was if someone tipped them off. We've got a traitor."

Daryl had already worked that much out and had been waiting for her to figure it out.

"Who would sell us out like that, why would they?" She wondered out loud. Daryl knew she didn't expect an answer and carried on keeping watch, staying far enough back from the window that he could see out but not be seen from outside.

"You don't need to do that, no one's gonna get in without us knowing" Chrissie was still curled up on the bed. "You might as well get some sleep while you can"

Daryl had to admit his ribs ached from their escape and he knew they had a long way to go to get back later that night. Reluctantly he moved away from the window, sitting on the edge of the bed, ignoring the smirk from Chrissie as he settled himself next to her.

"Don't worry, I'm too tired to even think about jumpin' you" she told him.

He had just closed his eyes when he felt the bed shift. Risking a quick glance he found her lying on her side, staring at him.

"Okay I lied" she told him, with a shameless grin "I aint too tired to think about it, just too shattered to do anything"

With an unintelligible growl he rolled onto his side, turning his back to her, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

He jolted awake, automatically reaching for the rifle, just as the bedroom door crashed open.

"Well this is a real cosy scene, isn't it" a voice sneered "what's Captain Jackson going to say when she finds out her missing husband's been all snuggled up with one of the Senators enemies?"

Daryl heard Chrissie curse beside him as they faced the six armed men crammed into the bedroom. The next few minutes were just a blur of chaos in the confined space. Daryl fired and one of the soldiers dropped. Another lunged forward and grabbed the barrel of the rifle, wrenching it down as Daryl fired again, the bullet harmlessly hitting the floor. Two others attacked and the fourth reached for Chrissie, pinning her arms as she struggled and swore, fighting with everything she had as the last man approached, cuffs in hand. She was still fighting as they dragged her from the room and down the stairs. She noticed the front door was now wide open, the explosive charge disabled. They had been betrayed again.

She was shoved roughly into the back of a covered truck, Daryl joining her a few seconds later, once again battered and bruised. The body of the soldier Daryl had shot was laid out carefully and three of the remaining men climbed in with them, all alert, guns raised. The other two climbed into the cab and the truck set off.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I'm really sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I know how this story ends but I got a real writers block on how to get there and needed a break from it, also I got the idea for Losing Hope stuck in my head and there's clearly only room for one story at a time. It's not brilliant but it gets things moving in the right direction. Hope you like it.**

**Thanks for reading.**

Chapter 6

Tasha strode down the corridors of the White House. She had found out a long time ago that if you wore the right uniform and were confident enough nobody questioned your right to be somewhere. She'd marched up to the door, breezing unchallenged past the man on duty, who had jumped to attention and saluted her. She'd given him a curt nod and hurried by, looking all the world like she was meant to be there.

Now she was opening doors at random, peering in, looking for anything to give her a clue as to what was going on.

"Captain Jackson!" a brusque voice stopped her "Might I enquire what you are doing here?"

Slowly Tasha turned, coming face to face with Colonel Donovan, her commanding Officer.

"Sir" she snapped to attention, giving him a smart salute, managing a sheepish smile at his stern expression.

"Sorry Sir" she explained "It's just I've never seen the White House before. I just wanted to see what it was like inside" She saw him relax slightly and decided to try something.

"The Senators aide, Carrie, said she'd show me round but I've not seen her for a while and thought I'd take a look myself"

She kept her expression neutral as she saw the closed look in his eyes again, before he stepped forward and took her arm.

"Allow me to give you the guided tour" he said as he escorted her down the corridor. "You really need to see the oval office"

An extremely boring and frustrating hour later she was outside again, Colonel Donovan watching as she made her way back to the street. As soon as she was out of his sight she stopped, glancing behind her.

"You can come out now, he can't see us" she said quietly as Eugene slipped out from between two buildings, a disappointed look on his face.

"I was sure you were unaware of my presence" he commented as he approached, fidgeting nervously.

Tasha caught his arm and pulled him back into the alleyway, out of sight

"Why were you following me?" she demanded

"I needed to speak to you urgently" Eugene was scared, glancing around him all the time "I'm not permitted to leave the building unescorted but I saw you and had to share my information"

Tasha waited impatiently, she'd never doubted Eugene's intelligence but still found him an odd character.

"They are working on finding a cure, anyone with scientific knowledge is bought to the labs in the bunker under the building and made to work there. They also bring in test subjects, people they don't think have a place in their new world. Today they bought in your bedfellow, Mr Dixon, along with a seriously hot woman. Dr Harris told me I wasn't allowed to see them. He said Senator Russell had special plans for these two. I don't know what these plans are but I don't believe they'll be pleasant. It seems they've caused a lot of trouble recently" He hesitated, glancing around again.

"I really think it would be a good idea if you were to get them out as soon as possible. I will give you the codes for the security doors and an idea where they can be found. The rest will be up to you as we both know I am totally inadequate in a confrontational situation" Eugene handed her a slip of paper with several numbers written down as well as careful instructions on how to find where he believed Daryl and Chrissie were being held.

Tasha caught his arm as he was about to turn away and head back to the White House.

"Eugene, you've already been really brave but I need you to do something else for me. I need you to find either Abraham or Rick and tell them what you just told me. They need to know what's going on. There's a group that are going to attack the Senator and her people. Rick needs to get everyone away from the hotel, that's where it's going down. He needs to get his kids to safety"

Eugene shook his head.

"I can't. I have to go back before they miss me." He pulled away, shaking his head.

Tasha leaned closer to him.

"I really need your help here" she told him, moving closer still "I think you're braver than you know and just think how impressed Carol , Sasha, Beth and Tara will be if you're the one to save them all" She deliberately named the single women in the group, knowing his weakness.

"I'll be so grateful as well" she leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek, causing him to turn red instantly.

"Alright I'll do it" he declared, straightening his spine and marching off, before stopping and glancing at her.

"Which way is it again?" he enquired.

Senator Russell watched as the truck reversed towards the loading bay of the store. Once it was almost flush with the closed doors it stopped and the rear doors were slid open. She could hear the frightened sobs of the two women chained inside the vehicle. It was a pitiful sound but she ignored it, after all sacrifices had to be made to save the world. The loading bay doors were opened and it wasn't long before the walkers stored inside the building caught the scent of the trapped women. They began to lumber toward them, shoving against each other in their hurry to get to the live bait. The truck filled quickly but the screaming went on for a long time. Once all the walkers were inside the truck doors were closed and locked tightly.

"You know where to go" The Senator instructed the driver. He gave her a nod and pulled away quickly, wanting to be rid of his unpleasant load as soon as possible.

Rick was with Carl and Judith in the mess hall when Abraham found them.

"Y'all gotta come with me" the soldier told him, his tone leaving no room for argument. Trusting the man, Rick gathered Judith into his arms and followed without question, Carl right behind. Once outside Abraham lead them to the back of a nearby building. Maggie, Glenn and Beth were already there as was Tara.

"Rosita's getting the others, they get here then I'll fill you in what's goin' on. Don't think your gonna like it much" He told them.

Once Rosita had arrived with Carol, Sasha and Michonne Eugene stepped forward. Quickly he updated them on the situation, hating being the one to burst their bubble of security.

Don was making a last pass of the tunnels nearest the camp before turning in for the night, he knew there were sentries keeping watch but he slept better if he'd checked everything one last time before he allowed himself to rest. He was talking to Dean, one of those on duty, when they both heard the shuffling feet and the familiar groans. Dean shone a flashlight into the darkness, the beam dancing over the walkers heading towards them. Don raised his gun, firing at the closest corpses.

"Run" he yelled "Get back and warn the others, get everyone out. I'll hold them off as long as I can" he fired again and again as, with a last despairing look, Dean ran.

Don fired until he was out of ammo, then used the empty rifle as a club. He knew he wasn't going to make it. His last thought as the walker's teeth sank into his flesh was that the recently turned young woman in the smart business suit had probably been really pretty when she was alive.

Using the codes Eugene had given her, Tasha had managed to get deep into the bunker under the White House. She'd followed the detailed directions he'd given her and was now outside the room he believed Daryl to be in. Taking a deep breath she grasped the handle and pushed open the door.

Daryl was laid on a bed, limbs restrained by straps fastened to the bed frame. His eyes were closed but she could see the soft rise and fall of his chest and she gave a sigh of relief at finding him alive. Closing the door behind her she moved closer, noticing the IV bag attached to his arm. With shaking fingers she began to unbuckle the straps at his ankles. She had just moved to free his left arm when his eyes flew open.

"Damn girl, you're a welcome sight" he smirked.

"Have they hurt you?" Tasha moved to his right side, freeing his arm as he ripped the IV needle free, before swinging his legs from the bed.

"They stuck me on this damn drip, said I needed more fluids before they could start working on me" he reassured her, getting to his feet and unexpectedly pulling her into a tight hug. She had just begun to return it when the door swung open. Spinning round they found a young armed soldier staring wide eyed at them. As they moved towards him he stepped into the room and closed the door.

"Wait" he said, "I'm on your side" He held his gun to Tasha "Take this, then hit me, I'll tell them you jumped me and knocked me out. You need to hurry, your friends just down the hall but they're about to start experimenting on her. You need to get her and warn the rest of your group. The Senator's finally lost it, she's about to send biters down the tunnels"

With a hurried Thank you Tasha swung the gun, knocking the young man out cold. Daryl was already heading for the door, tearing it open and heading into the hallway. They had no trouble finding the room Chrissie was imprisoned in, she was making it very clear what she thought of the treatment she was receiving.

"Damn woman's got a mouth on her like a drunk sailor" Daryl muttered as they heard a particularly colourful set of expletives. They barged into the room to see Chrissie restrained in the same way as Daryl had been. A man in a white coat was leaning over her, a large syringe full of a thick black liquid in his hand. Before he could move Daryl's fist swung out and, with a yelp of pain, he fell, losing his grip on the syringe. Quickly Tasha freed Chrissie, getting a nod of thanks from the woman.

"Skumbag was gonna jab me with geek blood" she told them disgustedly as she picked up the discarded syringe. The scientist cowered against the wall as she approached.

"You wanna know what it feels like so bad, maybe I should just stick this in you" she grabbed his arm, piercing the skin with the needle, her thumb resting on the plunger, as he shook his head in terror.

"Please" he begged "I was just doing what the Senator asked, I'm sorry"

Chrissie stared at him for a long moment before pulling the needle free of his arm. She threw the glass vial against the wall, watching as it shattered and the walker blood pooled harmlessly on the floor.

"You're lucky I aint as sick as that bitch" she told him as she rose. "But that don't mean I forgive you" Her foot lashed out, catching him on the forehead and he slumped back, motionless.

"Can't have him raising the alarm" she told Daryl and Tasha, noticing the look of approval on the woman's face.

The three of them left the room, slinking down the corridors, ducking through doorways when necessary to avoid being seen. Finally they found the exit, a fire door leading into a courtyard. A truck was parked there, soldiers unloading several resisting people.

"We can't help them now. We need to find more weapons, get the others and come back," Daryl knew Tasha was right but couldn't help a last glance back as they slipped away. Two soldiers were pulling a man from the truck, he was struggling, putting up a good fight and they were finding it hard to keep hold of him. As a third soldier approached and swung his gun, striking the man and knocking him out Daryl saw his face for the first time. With a jolt of shock he recognised the mop of dark hair and the young features.

It was Glenn.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Thanks to mrskaz453 for reviewing the last chapter I really appreciate it.**

**Sorry it jumps around a bit but I had to get everyone in the right places for the last chapter.**

Chapter 7

Maggie was trying to stay calm, trying to convince herself there was a reason Glenn hadn't shown up for their prearranged lunch date. Whenever their work rotas allowed it they tried to meet as often as possible, still not used to be apart so often. It was unlike him not to show.

After the meeting with Eugene and the revelation that Daryl was still alive and in the city, they had decided to pretend nothing had changed. They would carry on as normal for now, all the time trying to get hold of weapons. Eugene had told them Tasha was already trying to get Daryl out and he'd informed them of the planned attack on the W. Rick was instantly on the lookout for a safe house to move Carl and Judith into at the first opportunity.

Michonne had told them about the book of names and professions and Maggie was aware that Glenn was the only other name not listed, as well as Daryl. She didn't believe in coincidence, she knew he'd been taken.

Tasha and Chrissie exchanged exasperated looks as they dashed out after Daryl. One second he'd been behind them as they attempted to slip away from the bunker, the next he'd raised the rifle taken from the young soldier and dashed out, heading straight for the soldiers in the courtyard.

"So much for a quick getaway" Chrissie muttered as she tackled a soldier from behind, bringing the unsuspecting man down as Tasha clubbed him with her handgun. Chrissie scooped up his weapon, using it to take out another man. Tasha fired as well, taking down the armed man about to fire on Daryl. He was firing indiscriminately as he fought his way towards the truck and the motionless figure lying beside it. Tasha and Chrissie reached his side, the three of them laying down enough firepower to keep the remaining troops under cover, unable to return fire accurately.

"What the hell?" Tasha demanded, glaring at Daryl "Thought we agreed we were coming back with more man power"

"Bastard's got Glenn, aint leaving him behind" he indicated the fallen man, hearing Tasha sigh beside him.

"We'll cover you, grab him so we can get the hell out of here" she ordered. Daryl handed her the rifle and scooped up the younger man, hoisting him over his shoulder. With Chrissie in front and Tasha bringing up the rear, moving backwards as she kept up a hail of bullets, they worked their way towards the courtyards exit.

Chrissie made it through the gate, turning to help cover Daryl and Tasha when she saw the soldier on the roof. Quickly she raised her gun and fired. Her aim was true and the man fell but not before he got a shot off. Tasha felt the pain in her shoulder and lost her grip on her gun, stumbling back from the impact of the bullet. At once the cowering troops rose from hiding and began to return fire. Daryl propped Glenn against a wall and turned back, intent on getting to Tasha but Chrissie was already there. She lay down a continuous stream of bullets giving Tasha time to pull herself to safety. Collecting Glenn again the small group made a run for it, losing themselves in the streets of DC.

The screaming had stopped a while ago and now the walkers were just aimlessly wandering around in the tunnels. Dean had got to the camp and managed to raise the alarm but the walkers had been on them before they could all escape. Those left had fought hard, trying to hold the walkers back giving the others a chance to get to away but they'd been badly outnumbered. Dean was one of the last to go, plunging his knife into the skull of one as another ripped into his back. As he felt himself torn apart seeing the bodies of his friends scattered around him he could only hope that some of the others had made it. The last thing he heard was the distant sound of gunfire.

Chrissie had guided them to another safe house and was using some of the supplies left there to patch up Tasha's shoulder. The bullet had passed cleanly through but the wound still required cleaning and a couple of stitches.

Tasha eyed the other woman as she worked on her injury.

"Thanks" she said grudgingly "Thanks for getting me out of there"

Chrissie gave her a small nod.

"If I hadn't he would" she indicated Daryl, keeping watch at the window "and we needed him to get the other guy out" Chrissie studied Tasha for a second.

"I never made a move on him you know" she said quietly "I wanted to, had plenty of chances but I thought you two were really married and I don't hit on married men. When I knew the truth I had the chance again, in the last safe house before we got captured but I didn't 'cos I knew it's you he wants" she gave a soft laugh.

"Doesn't mean I don't flirt with him but that's more 'cos I love the panic on his face when I do it" she confessed, surprised when Tasha laughed.

"He really doesn't have a clue how to deal with that does he?" she chuckled.

Daryl heard both the women laughing and was relieved they seemed to be getting on. The last thing he needed was the two of them trying to kill each other, they had enough problems already.

Glenn was laid out on the bed, sleeping off a massive headache. He'd come round long enough for Chrissie to get some painkillers down him and to explain that he'd been on his way to meet Maggie when he'd been snatched up by the troops. He told them Eugene had found them and explained the situation then curled up on the bed and drifted off into a deep sleep.

The first of the walkers stumbled out onto the street, the sound of the gunfire had caught their limited attention and drawn them to the station, the sound of voices from those passing by pulled them towards the steps and now they had found their way outside. It didn't take them long to claim their first victims.

Abraham had returned to the barracks and after some discreet questioning and subtle conversations he had found several soldiers who disagreed with Senator Russell and her plans. They had agreed to help him and the rest of the group in removing her from power. They loaded the back of a jeep with bags of weapons and made their way to a building just outside the safe area.

Rick and the others were there, Glenn's disappearance meaning they had given up all pretence of co-operation. Now they were gearing up for war.

"We'll take the hotel, make our way to the penthouse where she lives and deal with her and her people" Rick's plan was basic and ruthless but he could see no alternative. Quietly they began to prepare themselves.

Daryl was still watching from the window when the solitary figure stumbled into view.

"It's Gregg" he hissed "looks hurt".

Chrissie dashed down the stairs and threw open the door as Gregg reached it. Quickly she pulled him inside, slamming the door behind him.

"Thank God I found you" he wheezed as he fought for breath "This is the third safe house I've checked"

"It's all going wrong, Russell's on to us. She sent geeks into the tunnels, we couldn't get everyone out in time, it was a massacre "he gabbled, clinging on to Chrissie as she supported his weight.

"It's down to us now, we have to take her out" He pulled himself upright, following Chrissie upstairs.

Tasha was sitting on the bed, next to Glenn, when the two of them entered the room. She was sure she saw a flicker of annoyance on the man's face when he saw Daryl at the window.

"You made it as well" he exclaimed, seemingly pleased to see the hunter unharmed so she decided she probably imagined it.

Between them they decided they no longer had anything to lose and came up with a plan. It was simple, it was dangerous and it was probably suicide. They would find a way into the hotel, work their way to the penthouse and relieve Senator Russell from power, one way or another.

They rested up for a couple of hours, made themselves eat something and checked over their meagre supply of weapons. Glenn awoke, headache gone and ready to get some payback. Finally, as darkness began to fall, they were ready.

"You gonna be okay?" Daryl asked Tasha when he noticed her favouring her injured shoulder. She gave him a tight grin.

"I'll be fine, I've had worse" she told him as she hoisted her rifle onto her back.

"How about you?" she indicated the bruises that littered his face and arms, her hand resting gently on his ribs, just brushing the strapping still there.

He glanced up at her, blue eyes peering out from under his overlong hair.

"I've had worse" he quipped as they stepped cautiously into the darkening streets. It took a long time to make their way to the W. They had to keep ducking out of sight from the many troops on the streets.

"Somethings wrong" Gregg commented "There's more soldiers out than usual and they seem worked up about something"

They were only a couple of blocks away when the sound of battle reached them. Shouting and gunfire echoed around as they inched closer. They saw soldiers protecting the front of the hotel as they came under attack from the buildings and surrounding streets.

Squinting through the darkness and smoke Daryl made out some familiar faces.

"It's Rick and the others" he exclaimed "Guess the shit hit the fan while we were gone" he peered out again "Looks like they got some troops on side as well"

He, Tasha and Glenn were about to move towards their friends when Gregg stopped them.

"There's a way in through the underground carpark" he told them "We can use this distraction to get inside"

It was agreed that Glenn would go to Rick and the others, filling them in on the stealth attack on the penthouse. Daryl, Tasha, Chrissie and Gregg would make their way inside and work their way to the upper floors.

They were almost at the entrance to the carpark when the three walkers came at them. One grabbed Chrissie, snagging her jacket and pinning her to the wall as she struggled with it, unable to use her weapons. Tasha and Daryl used knives, efficiently putting down the other two as Gregg pulled the one from Chrissie, throwing it to the ground and crushing its head with his boot.

"You alright?" He demanded as Chrissie pulled her jacket back over her shoulder.

She gave him a small nod and turned away, quickly joining Tasha and Daryl as they made their way inside the carpark. Slipping through a door into the lower levels of the hotel they hurried up several flights of stairs, finally coming out into a long corridor.

"Have to use the elevator to get to the penthouse, there's no stairs" Gregg told them.

Screams from outside caught their attention and Chrissie hurried to the full length window overlooking the street.

"Looks like the geeks have found their way out of the tunnels" she told them "They're going for the soldiers" Daryl and Tasha joined her, watching as the soldiers were slowly overwhelmed by the walkers.

Tasha didn't know what instinct made her turn but she did, in time to see Gregg raise his gun, aiming directly at Daryl. She saw his finger tighten on the trigger and, knowing she didn't have time to shoot back, she reacted instinctively. She heard the blast of the rifle as she crashed into Daryl, knocking him to one side. She heard Chrissie yell and the sound of another shot as she fell, a blinding pain in her side as she hit the plush, carpeted floor.

**Thanks for reading. Last chapter up soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Final chapter, hope you like it.**

**Thanks to those who took the time to follow or favourite.**

**Thanks also to mrskaz453, tashriia, Sharon(guest) and the guest reviewer for their kind words. I appreciate every review and comment.**

**mrskaz453 - I hope you feel differently about Chrissie by the end of this chapter :)**

Chapter 8

Daryl pulled himself to his feet, time stopping at the sight of Tasha motionless the floor, blood pooling under her body. He saw Gregg on the ground clutching at a gunshot wound in his leg as Chrissie kicked his rifle away, keeping her own weapon pointed at his head. With a roar of anger he launched himself at the downed man hauling him to his feet. He punched him hard again and again, holding him up by his shirt until the man could no longer stand, then finally he let him fall again.

"Why?" Daryl demanded "The hell you wanna shoot me for?"

Gregg spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring up at Daryl.

"I had a deal with the Senator. Everything was going well 'till you showed up and screwed it all to hell" he snarled.

"You son of a bitch, you're the traitor, the one that sold us out on the weapons raid, told them about the safe house" Chrissie pushed past Daryl, aiming a kick at Gregg's ribs.

"What did she offer you?" she demanded, kicking him again as Daryl pulled her away.

"Everything I wanted" he told the furious woman. "She told me I could have the lifestyle I deserved, the big apartment, the pick of the supplies and a position of power in the new world" He glanced at her again "She told me I could have you but then he came along and ruined it all" He turned his gaze to Daryl. "You pissed her off so much she was going to back out of our arrangement; she wanted both of you dead. I figured it I gave her you and that traitorous army bitch, she'd calm down and keep her word"

Chrissie stared at him in disbelief "You really think I'd be with you after you did that. Good people died because of you" She tried to pull out of Daryl's grip, wanting to hurt him some more.

Daryl shoved her back roughly as he reached down and grabbed Greggs arm, forcing him to his feet.

"You lost the right to live and I aint wasting a bullet on you" he told him as he manhandled him down the corridor.

"Get the window" he ordered Chrissie. She caught on quickly, not bothering to waste time with the latches instead spraying the glass with bullets, shattering the wooden frame.

Gregg realised what was happening and began to struggle but Daryl's grasp was too strong. He found himself on the edge of a three story drop, only Daryl's grip stopping him from falling. Several walkers were still milling around, searching for the source of the noise made by the window breaking.

Chrissie stood next to Daryl, her cold eyes staring into Gregg's terrified ones.

"Now you can have what you deserve" she told him as Daryl let go. She placed her hands on his chest, giving him a firm push. He teetered on the edge for a second before losing his footing and tumbling backwards, screaming as he hit the pavement. At once several walkers were on him, tearing and ripping him apart.

Chrissie ran to Tasha, dropping to her knees at the unconscious soldier's side.

"She's still alive. We need to get her to one of the rooms" she called to Daryl, who was standing motionless as he stared at Tasha, suddenly feeling numb and lost.

"Now!" Chrissie's sharp demand snapped him out of his stupor. Carefully he lifted Tasha and followed Chrissie into the nearest room, laying her on the bed. Chrissie shoved the injured woman's jacket to one side and ripped her tee shirt open, revealing the ugly wound.

She grabbed a pillow and yanked the case off, bundling the fabric up and applying pressure to the still bleeding wound.

"I need you to go search for some first aid kits or anything I can treat this with" She ordered Daryl. After a quick, unsuccessful search of the room they were in he reluctantly left.

He wasn't gone for long, ten minutes at most, managing to find a first aid box in the third room he checked before hurrying back. Opening the door he saw no sign of Chrissie. Tasha was still on the bed in her torn tee shirt, her jacket gone, a sheet tucked around her legs. He frowned when he noticed the wound was dressed, a clean gauze patch held in place by tape.

A curse behind him made him spin round, raising his weapon. Chrissie was coming out of the bathroom, arranging something around her neck. He gave her a confused look when he saw it was Tasha's dog tags. He suddenly realised she was wearing Tasha's uniform pants and jacket.

"The hell you doin'?" he asked, puzzled.

"You weren't meant to come back this quick" she told him as she shifted awkwardly.

"What you playin' at? You didn't need me to get no first aid kit, you already had the stuff. Why you in her gear?" he asked, a bad feeling forming in his gut.

Chrissie gave a sigh, looking at him with sad eyes.

"I was plannin' on being gone when you got back" she turned away, moving to the side of the bed, looking at Tasha.

"I've done what I can, it's not as bad as it looks. You get her to a proper medic and she should be fine. You need to take her now, you need to get both of you out of here" she kept her back to him.

Daryl grabbed her arm and pulled her round to face him.

"What you going to do?" he asked again.

Chrissie pulled her arm free and moved away, standing by the window, lifting her head to the sun and closing her eyes as if savouring the warmth. It was then he noticed the thin film of sweat over her flushed skin, the slight way she favoured her left arm.

"Gregg was right; the only way to the penthouse is by the elevator. They've already blocked off the fire escape. Her personnel guards will be watching the hallway. They're not going to let just anyone in. We'll be gunned down before we can get near her" She finally met his eye.

"I figured they might let one of their own in, especially if she was injured and asking for help." She indicated the bloodstains on Tasha jacket as she fastened it. "When I get inside then I can use this" she pulled a grenade from her pocket.

"Took it from one of the jerks in the courtyard, thought it might be useful one day" she smiled "Guess I was right"

Daryl was shaking his head, refusing to accept her plan.

"You aint thought this through girl" he told her "How you plannin' on getting' yer ass out of there?"

"I'm not" she told him softly, her eyes suddenly shiny with unshed tears.

As he began to protest she moved closer, silencing him with a finger across his lips.

"It don't matter anymore" Slowly and carefully she slipped the jacket from her shoulder, revealing the ugly bite on her upper arm.

"Bastard got me, just before Gregg pulled it off" quickly she covered it again, turning away.

"I'd rather go down taking her and as many others out as I can than die of the fever and turn or have someone put me down"

Daryl was silent, he didn't know what to say, instead reaching out and pulling her into a sudden awkward embrace. He could feel the heat of the fever already taking hold of her body.

"You gotta take her and get out of here now" she held him back, allowing herself a few seconds of contentment. "I can feel it spreading, I don't know how much longer I got" Reluctantly she pulled away, pushing him towards the bed.

"Go" she insisted. Daryl wrapped the sheet more firmly around Tasha, scooping her gently into his arms. Chrissie opened the door and stood to the side letting him pass. As he drew level with her he stopped. In an uncharacteristic move he leant forward and brushed her lips lightly with his.

"Thanks" he said softly, trying to hold himself together as he moved away.

She made a noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh.

"So this is all I had to do to get you to kiss me. Don't know why I didn't think of it before" She watched as he hesitated at the door to the stair well, looking back at her sadly.

"Get the hell out of here" she deliberately turned her back and entered the open elevator, pressing the button for the penthouse.

As the elevator doors closed she caught a last glimpse of the angle wings on his back as he disappeared down the stairs.

The gun fight was over as Daryl left the building via the car park. The soldiers loyal to the Senator had been defeated, either killed in the fight or taken by the walkers that had been drawn by the sounds of the battle. The few that survived had surrendered and were now helping Rick and the others take down the remaining walkers. Daryl stepped around what was left of Gregg as he headed to find his friends and get help for Tasha. She had started to come round, moaning in pain as he carried her.

"Quit yer moaning woman" he told her as her eyes flickered open, "I got yer"

It was Maggie that spotted them, her yell alerting the others as she rushed towards him; her joy at seeing him short lived at the sight of Tasha in his arms.

As the group crowded around them an explosion ripped through the air. Glass and rubble showered down from the top floor of the hotel, smoke and flames pouring from the shattered windows. Daryl lowered his head, his forehead resting on Tasha's as he fought back his emotions.

"I take it the Senator is now dead" an unfamiliar voice broke through the shouts and confusion. Glancing up Daryl saw a man in a Colonels uniform in front of him, concern on his face as he looked at Tasha. Abruptly he turned and bellowed for a medic. At once a man hurried over, a large back pack in his hands.

"Lay her down. Let me look" he ordered Daryl. Dazed and still in shock Daryl clung tightly to the semi-conscious woman in his arms, refusing to give her up to strangers.

A soft hand gripped his arm, and he lifted his head to see Carol.

"Daryl, this is Colonel Donovan, he and his men helped us. Let them take care of her" she pleaded softly. Slowly he nodded, carefully placing her on the pavement, letting the medic do his job.

As he watched the man work on Tasha a hand gripped his shoulder.

"Glad to have you back man" Rick was there, a troubled look on his face "I'm sorry I let you down, I should've looked harder, demanded answers. Tasha never stopped looking but I got suckered into this place. I thought it was safe, I thought my kids were safe" he rubbed a hand over his tired eyes "I'm sorry" he said again.

Daryl managed an exhausted nod, he didn't care if they'd looked for him or not, they were all together again now and that was all that mattered.

The next day after making sure Tasha was settled in the sick bay at the barracks and filling the others in on what had happened, Daryl and Rick went with Colonel Donovan and several soldiers to check out the penthouse. The flames had died down and the smoke cleared as they picked their way through the rubble. They found what was left of Senator Russell and her closest aides, the woman only recognisable by the remnants of the expensive pants suit she wore. The bodies of several soldiers were also there, some badly burnt and others killed by flying shrapnel. A couple had clearly only been injured and had been killed by those that had turned after death. A few uniformed walkers ambled around in the debris and were quickly put down.

Rick pushed open the partially closed door to a bathroom, stepping back quickly at the sounds of snarling. Drawing his knife he stepped forward, Daryl close behind him.

Rick blocked the door, stopping his friend from entering the room.

"You don't wanna see this" he told him, trying to push him back. Daryl shoved him to one side and entered the room, knife in hand.

The walker stumbled toward him, her body badly burned but her face barely touched by the explosion. Her milky eyes fixed on him as she lumbered towards him, arms outstretched. He let her get close then slipped behind her, pinning her arms to her side with one arm as he slipped the blade into her skull. Gently he lowered the body to the ground. Rick found a grubby towel and handed it to him silently. Before he covered her face, Daryl reached down and carefully removed the scorched dog tags from her neck. He closed her eyes and laid the towel over her before standing and striding from the room without saying a word.

A week had passed since the Senators death and order was being restored to the Capital. The walkers left roaming the streets were hunted down and dealt with. Tasha was well on the way to making a full recovery, both her and Daryl coming to terms with Chrissie's sacrifice and growing closer every day in one of the most awkward courtships anyone had ever seen.

Daryl had told Rick everything and they had taken Chrissie's body from the penthouse, burying her in one of the parks near the river. Gregg's body had been burnt along with the walkers and those of the Senator and her supporters.

Colonel Donovan was now in charge and was proving to be a good leader, he'd been planning a coup against Senator Russell but the actions of Rick and the others had forced his hand, making him move faster than he'd anticipated. Those that were being held in the bunker were freed and those forced to live in hiding were given decent homes and made to feel like part of society again.

The small group of survivors lead by Rick were part of that society. Rick and Michonne were part of a council that helped make the day to day decisions and the others all had their own jobs to do. For the first time since the prison they allowed themselves to feel safe.

It was a good feeling.

They could only hope it lasted.

END

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought.**

**Mistyeye**


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